Pulsation in TESS Objects of Interest

Abstract

We report the discovery of three Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Objects of Interest (TOI) with signatures of pulsation, observed in more than one sector. Our main goal is to explore how large is the variety of classical pulsators such as δ Sct, γ Dor, RR Lyrae and Cepheid among TOI pulsators. The analysis reveals two stars with signatures of δ Sct and one of γ Dor, out of a sample of 3901 TOIs with available light curves (LCs). To date, there is a very scarce number of known pulsating stars hosting planets. The present finding also emerges as an exciting laboratory for studying different astrophysical phenomena, including the effects of star–planet interaction on pulsation and timing detection of planetary companions. We have also identified 16 TOI stars with periodicities and LCs morphology compatible with different classical pulsating classes, but for most of them, the dominant frequency signals originate from contaminating sources.

Keywords

• Transit photometry
• Substellar companion stars
• Star-planet interactions
• Stellar pulsations